Friction-clutch.



W. DENNIS.

FRICTION CLUTCH. APPLICATION FILED KAY 15, 1911.

N N p 3 5 R R I P mm I'm" W, 33 :5? I N 215?:75

e 5 O b w s Q q Q T3 witues'ses a 17011611217072 @541 J XXMMWMM NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM DENNIS, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO VERG-ESMANUFACTURING.CO., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A. CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

FRICTION-CLUTCH.

stop rotation of the driven members by the operation of shifting them out of engagement with the driving members, and generally to simplify and improve the construc-' tion and operation of clutches of this class.

It consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts, as hereinafter particularly describedv and defined in the it may be embodied in other. forms for va-' rious uses within the scope of the invention.

Referring to, the drawing, and particularly to Fig. 1, a designates the driving I member of the clutch, which in 'the present case may represent the flywheel of the engine. It is fixed on a shaft 1) and is provided with a rim 0' having an overhanging or internal conical friction face. The driven member 03 of theclutch, which has a conical rim 6 fitting into the conical rim of the driv' ing member a, is mounted and movable axially upon a shaft 1'', with which it is caused to rotate by keys 9, inserted in opposite sides of said shaft and working in horizontal grooves in the hub ofmember d.

Within the overhanging rim 6 of the member d is movably fitted a disk or retarding member h which forms therewith an air chamber 1', the rim of said disk being provided with suitable packing j to prevent leakage between it and the rim e.. The disk h is formed with or fixedon the driving Specification of Letters Patent.

shaft f, which projects therefrom toward the driving member a, and-is centrally bored to form a bearing for the adjacent end of the driving shaft b, whereby the clutch members are held with the shafts b and f in proper alinement.

' A cock is screwed into an opening in the web of member d, affords an adjustable air vent or outlet for the chamber 2', and an automatic air inlet valve screwed into another opening in the web of said member d, allows air to enter said chamber. whenever the friction member d ofthe clutch is shifted away from the relatively fixed retarding member 71,. This valve, as shown in detail in Fig. 2, comprises an externally threaded flanged case or sleeve Z, which is screwed into .the inlet opening in the web of member (1, as shown inFig. 1, a valve head or disk we, provided on the inner side with a tubular stem n and on the outer side with a tubular stem 0, and a centrally perforated cap 79 threaded on the outer end of the case or sleeve Z. The stem n, which is open at its inner end, is fitted and guided in the contractedbore at the inner end of the case or sleeve Z, and the stem 0 is fitted and guided in the central opening in the cap p, against which the valve disk or head on is fitted and closes outwardly around the central opening therein.

A spring g,-surro;unding the stem n and bearing at its inner end against an internal shoulder inthe-case or sleeve Z and at its outer end against the valve disk or head m, tends to move said disk or headtoward its seat The tubular stem at is formed adjacent to the disk or. head with lateral ports r, and the stem 0 is formed with lateral ports 8, through which air entering the outer end of the stem 0 .passes outwardly around the periphery\of the disk or head m when the latter is uriseated, into the stem n and thence into the expanding chamber A nonrotat-ing shifting collar or member .t, engaging with an external annular groove in the hub of member at, is'formed at its Patented May 21,1912.

Application filed May 15, 1911. Serial No. 627,179.

outer end with a conical friction face u,

which fits into the correspondingly shaped conical end '4; ofe-a sleeve or collar to which is fixed on the shaft f. The collars t and 'w are thus made to serve as friction brake members to stop the rotation, of the driven member of the clutch when it is thrown out of engagement with the driving member. A

lever w or other means for throwing the clutch out of action, is connected with the collar t, while theshaft fwith the retarding disk or member h fixed thereon, and the shaft 7) with the driving member a, are held A spiral spring 2 surrounding the shaft.

and hearing at one'end against the recessed sleeve or collar w and at the other end against the gland z, tends to force the driven member 03 into engagement withthe driving .member a.-

In the operation of the clutch, when the' shifting collar t is released, the .spring 2 forces the driven member d toward and into engagement with the driving member a, the axial movement of the member (Z .on the shaftf being checked or retarded by the air confined in the chamber a and escaping therefrom through the vent valve k more or less slowly according to the adjustment of said valve. The driven member (5 being thus brought gradually into frictional engagement with the rotating driving member a; starts to rotate slowly and smoothly,

thereby avoiding shock and excessive strain upon-the clutch members and the mechanism connected therewith, the driven member gradually but quickly acquiring the speed of the driving member. When the shifting member If is withdrawn by the lever w or other operating connection against the tension of the spring 2, the inlet valve on is opened against the tension of the light.

spring g, admitting air into the chamber 5 and permitting the member 0? to move freely away from the member-h, until the friction face u of the shifting member 25 engages the face 7; of the sleeve or collar w, whereupon further movement of the member 03 away from the member it is arrested, the valve m is instantly closed by the spring 9 and the rotary movement of the members at and h and shaft 7 is arrested by the frictional engagement of the collar or with the sleeve or collar w.

Any tendency of the air in chamber 2' to escape through the inlet valve, reacting against the closed end of the tubular stem n operates to instantly and tightly close said valve, the peculiar construction of which renders its operation prompt and certain, the spring q beingprovided as a safeguard in case the valve should stick.

I claim:

1. In a friction clutch the combination of two friction members one movable axially relatively to the other, an axially fixed mem ber forming with the movable friction member a closed air chamber, which is provided shifting member 1 with a restricted vent and with an outwardly closing inlet valve, and means for forcing the movable friction member into engagement with the other friction member. i 2. Ina friction clutch the combination of two friction members one of which is movable axially into and out of engagement with the other, an axially fixed member forming with the-axially movable friction member an expansible air chamber having an adjustable vent and an outwardly closing inlet valve, and means for forcing the movable friction member into engagement with the other friction member.

3. In a friction clutch the combination of two friction members one of which is movable axially into and out of engagement with the other, a retarding member rot-atable with said movable friction member and forming therewith a closed expansion chamber which is provided with an automatic air inlet valve and with a restricted air vent,

and means for shifting said movable friction member axially with relation to the other friction member.

4. In a friction clutch the combination of rotary friction members one of which is movable axially into and out of engagement with the other, a retarding member interposed between said friction members and forming with the movable friction member an expansible air chamber having an automatic inlet valve and a restricted air vent, and means for shifting said movable friction member axially with relation to the other friction member.

5. In a friction clutch the combination of friction members one of which is movable axially into and out of engagement with the other, a spring tending to shift said movable member into engagement with the other, means for shifting said movable member in the opposite direction, and a retarding member forming with the movable friction member a closed air chamber havin a restricted vent and an automatic inlet va ve.

6. In a friction clutch the combination of friction members one.of which is movable axially into' and out of engagement with the other, means for shifting said movable member axially, a retarding member forming with said movable friction member an air chamber which has an air inlet and a restricted vent opening, and an inwardly opening valve seated in said air inlet and having a tubular stem open at its {inner end m commumcatlon with said chamber and a lateral opening adjacent to the valve.

7. In a friction clutch the combination of friction members one of which is movable into and out of engagement with the other, a retardingv member rotatable with said movable friction member which is movable axially with relation thereto and forms tral rotary bearing connection with the relatherewith an air chamber havingarestricted i with the movable friction member an air vent and an automatic inwardly opening inlet valve, and means for shifting said movable'friction member axially with relation to the other friction member and said retarding member.

, 8. In a friction clutch the combination of friction members one of which is movable axially into and out of engagement with the other, a retarding member having a cenchamber which has an air vent and an automatic air inlet valve, and means for shifting the movable friction member axially relaretarding member.

. In witness whereof Ihereto aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' WILLIAM DENNIS. Witnesses:

CHAS. L. Goss,

tively fixed .frictionmember and forming FRED PALM.

tive to the other friction member and to said I 

